Together towards net zero

Since last year’s Summit, Airbus and others have taken steps to move the needle towards net-zero aviation. But do these actions go far enough?

This panel explored the milestones achieved so far, as well as the challenges facing the industry as we strive to progress towards net zero at this critical time. 

Collaboration will be central to achieving tangible, lasting action. In this session, our focus was on the concrete steps that we can take – together – to enable net-zero aviation.

• There is now an established pathway towards achieving net zero by 2050 and a commitment to get there at both a Member State and aviation sector level. But real progress requires setting interim short-term goals, as well as creating agreed frameworks and regulation within which the industry can operate on a level playing field.
   
• The warning to the entire aviation ecosystem is to not neglect the details. SAF production, for example, should itself be sustainable (i.e. investing in SAF should not be at the expense of food, forests or other biodiversity), and what may appear at first glance to be a step forward must not become a step backwards. 
   
• In the UK, the Jet Zero Council is driving progress through a wide-ranging package of measures: investing in SAF plants, building a thriving UK SAF industry, and aiming to deliver at least 10% SAF in the UK fuel mix by 2030.
   
• To reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 there are longer-term initiatives we can undertake, as well as more immediate actions that bring about quicker results.  For example, fleet renewal is already delivering lower emissions. In the last three decades, aircraft efficiency has improved by 53%, so every new aircraft that now enters service directly contributes to reducing carbon emissions.
   
• As with any developing technology, it is important to be thorough in terms of testing and exploring the positives and negatives. Airbus is working closely with educational institutions such as MIT in the United States and Cranfield University in the UK to better understand the opportunities and challenges presented by hydrogen.